Goals: Finish What I Started 34 Years Ago

I returned to collecting cards in early 2011 after stopping roughly in 1983. I got swept up in new cards and discovering what I had missed in the 28 years I was gone.

I chased Heritage 2011 - and, of course, I'm still working on the short prints. I had fun with the flagship set of 2011. I dabbled heavily with A&G 2011 and Gypsy Queen 2011 - especially the cool paper frames. Some Lineage, too.

Then 2012 arrived and I felt lost. I didn't much care for anything and felt some burn out.

So, I fine-tuned my focus. It was easy really, pursue what always makes me smile.

Vintage and the sets of my youth (arguably vintage as well).

To me, vintage is either anything from the year I was born (1968) and earlier or from the year I stopped collecting - 1983 - and earlier. I can't decide.

At many local card shows, I've grabbed old cards here and there. Guys I had heard of - stars and semi-stars - and just cool looking cards I've found. I tend to focus on Reds and Tigers (my teams) and Cubs (my Dad's team and my still-living Grandpa's team).

But I also have renewed my focus on finishing the sets of my youth. 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983. As for 1977, I never had too many of them, so I bought a hand-collated set in the fall of 2011 at a garage sale. Through some other buys, please note I have a small collection of '77 dupes.

My top priorities right now are to finish 1976. I'm very close now and this is the set from which my other Grandpa had brought cards home for me from a garage sale in the early '80s. This is a very sentimental completion goal for me. I wrote all about it not long after starting to collect again.

Next priorities are to finish 1978 - the first cards I ever brought home from drugstores - and 1981 - a set I've always just had a fondness for and one I'm closer (although still far) to completing. 1979, 1980, 1982 and 1983 are taking a backseat - although I'd be happy to get them.

Many of my cards from my childhood sets were wiped out years ago in a basement flood. Sigh.

While I always took supreme care with my cards, I made up games with them and held them often. A few '81s suffered the consequences. Take Chet Lemon, for example. 

Another card I loved.

Despite my loyalty to the Reds, I always respected the then-rival Dodgers (and the '81 All-Star strips and sweet mustaches).

Meanwhile, it's nagging me but I believe I owe a collector an email from way back when. Had some Tiger cards, as I recall. He's probably long gone but just wanted to apologize for forgetting to return the note.

Meanwhile, part two, anyone know what happened to JABO? I was involved in his cards-being-sent-around-the-country-project. I had mailed then overseas and they came back to me recently several months later. He seems to be out of the collecting biz now.

Finally, if you care to read my previous post and want to vote on some all-time Indians in my pet project, please take a look and then go to the poll. A few hours left to vote and then I think I'll tackle the Giants (if anyone cares to nominate a few).

I Have Only Just Begun To Blog!

My wife, daughter and I have been living much like gypsies since June when our Chicagoland house sold and we headed back home to Indiana.

Well, hopefully before Christmas we'll be in our house and, soon after that, my efforts to trade, blog more consistently, and so on will be much easier.

For now, we're still holed up with my Grandpa in a fairly confined space. We can't complain too much. We moved because our jobs became work-from-home flexible and we wanted our daughter closer to family.

As for baseball cards, there are a few things I'd like to do between now and mid-December.

1. Complete 1976 Topps.
2. Make significant headway on Heritage 2011.
3. Make significant headway on Kimball Champions. I need #96 and most everything from #101-150 (but check first as I have a couple of them heading my way, I believe).

Down on the List: Pick up some more 1978s and, speaking of being gypsies, Gypsy Queens and, what the heck, '11 Topps Chrome.

On my home page, I have wants and cards available listed for various sets. If you're having trouble scrolling about and finding what you need, please send me a note.

Too bad TV never showed this guy during the World Series.

Oh, and one more thing: I plan to get back to before the move, the contest I mentioned last month. Far too much work travel popped up since then but I've made detailed notes on who gets entered into ye olde randomizer. Also, I'll offer up another chance to enter before I get things started.

'76 Cards For Trade

Random post here to see if any of you fine bloggers and blog readers are looking to acquire any 1976 Topps. I've updated my trade list here. All cards listed under "available" are available - even though I haven't included the names with a few of them yet.

I'm getting close to completing the set so if you can help me out with anything, I'd appreciate it. Or, make offers.

And, if you're searching for 1977 Topps, e-mail me your needs and I'll look through what I have. I just came into a haul from this set and thus have many available to trade. I'd love to fulfill needs from my older sets if at all possible - particularly 1978s!

Enjoy the playoffs!

My Lineage Obsession

Editor's Note (9/28): My Lineage needs/wants have drastically changed and I expect to update them in the next day or two. Thanks!

(This post includes a) Lineage for trade; b) news about the quest for my first set; c) a hearty thank you; d) a new auto; e) there is no "e".

My pursuit of the '75 minis from the Lineage Experience will end at one. With everyone, everywhere choosing to collect these cards, I cry "Uncle!".

Eventually - perhaps a very long time from now - I may snag four or five from my player collections. That's all I really wanted anyway.

But as for the rest of Lineage, I'm still on the hunt for the retired fellas and other favorites from the checklist. See below for what I have available to trade and what I'm seeking.

But first, I want to thank the Jeff Laws of My Sports Obsession for shipping me a few Lineage legends, several much-needed cards for my '76 quest and more.

Jeff and I - after several deals - are now at a point where we're just sending mailers back and forth every so often. I have these unspoken arrangements with a handful of bloggers, it seems, and they work great and generally are much less fuss.

This go-round, he sent me several old-timers from the Lineage set. I won't post all of the goodies, but I scanned a few.

I think this is a nice-looking card and Morgan is near the front of the players I collect.

Jeff also sent along the below gem - an auto that I noticed he posted several weeks ago. (Sorry about the neck strain.)

Not a huge name but a great addition for me - a lifelong Reds fan.

And Jeff added this legend - my very first cloth card.

Mr. Laws (who by the way lives no more than a couple of hours north of me in Indiana) didn't stop with Lineage. He took the time to look over my 1976 needs and sent me a couple of cards I needed and a couple of others cards where I needed upgrades.

Here are some of them.

So, I'm now dangerously close to completing '76, the first set that I personally have labored to put together. This set means a lot to me, as I wrote about a few months ago.

I have 15 cards to go (and another 30 for which I'm seeking upgrades)! Here's my 1976 list for those who might have and/or need some.

But back to Lineage. I have needs and wants and perhaps you do too!

Here's what I have for trade:

3 Jimmie Foxx
10 Jim Palmer
20 Justin Morneau
32 Jon Lester
35 Hanley Ramirez
41 Vladimir Guerrero
41 Vladimir Guerrero (refractory-thing)
51 Hunter Pence
55 Nolan Ryan
56 Shane Victorino
59 Duke Snider
65 Josh Johnson
67 Nelson Cruz
72 Rickie Weeks
85 Al Kaline
100 Babe Ruth
101 Madison Bumgarner
110 Thurman Munson

118 Todd Helton

126 Shin-Soo Choo
132 Nick Markakis
133 Zack Greinke
145 Adrian Gonzalez
149 Kevin Youkilis
152 David DeJesus
153 B.J. Upton
173 Adam Dunn
189 Jaime Garcia (refractory-thing)
192 Willie McCovey


Here's what I need:

2 Derek Jeter
5 Felix Hernandez 
13 Cal Ripken Jr.
19 Larry Walker
21 Edinson Volquez 
40 Stan Musial
47 Lance Berkman
48 Carlton Fisk
52 Andre Dawson
53 Mike Schmidt
57 Willie McCovey
60 Reggie Jackson
64 Joe Morgan
76 Roberto Alomar
90 Tris Speaker
98 Evan Longoria
99 Honus Wagner
103 Joey Votto
106 Cy Young
108 Hank Aaron
112 Johnny Cueto
120 Ichiro
121 Roy Halladay
137 Johnny Bench
141 Ozzie Smith
143 Miguel Cabrera
146 Freddie Freeman RC
148 Aroldis Chapman
154 Fergie Jenkins
156 Austin Jackson
158 Monte Irvin
159 Yonder Alonso
170 Tom Seaver
171 Ryne Sandberg
178 Albert Pujols 
181 Frank Thomas
182 Frank Robinson
186 Mel Ott
187 Justin Verlander
190 Bert Blyleven
195 Chipper Jones All-RC
196 Ichiro All-RC
197 Andre Dawson All-RC
200 Tom Seaver All-RC

 

1976: What I Need, What You Just Might Need ... and more

Still not fully up to speed with the blog, but I continue to catalog my cards and just posted my 1976 Topps availables and wants.

Please take a look and let me know if we can help each other. Along with 1976, many other years are now up on the left side of the blog. What's more: If you're collecting 2011 Heritage, take a look at my previous post.

I'm really enjoying trading with other bloggers and while my site is currently nothing more than a trading post, I hope to be a little more interesting at some point soon.

Thanks again!